shaffer



No. 622,826. Pafented Apr. ll, I899.

- P. C. SHAFFER.

GAS 0R LIQUID VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed 1m; 28, 1898.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 'l.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY T NORR|$ PEKERS ca}. PHOTO-LITHO WASNINGTDN o c No. 622,826.Patented Apr. ll, I899.

P. C; SHAFFER. GAS 0R LIQUID VENDING MACHINE.

Applicntion filad Km. 23, 1898) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

4.44 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. ll, I899.-

N0. 622,826. P. 6.. SHAFFEB.

GAS 0R LIQUID VENDING MACHINE. um filed In. as, 1898.) (No llodel.) 3Shouts-Sheet 3.

INVENTOR QM X9. A

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' been consumed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL O. SHAFFER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS OR LIQUID VENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,826, dated Aprilll,1899.

Application filed March 23, 1 8 9 8- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL (J. SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Gas or Liquid Vending Machines, of which thefollow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in gas or liquid vending machinesin which a coin actuates the mechanism which opens the valve and themeter mechanism automatically closes the same; and the object of myimprovement is to provide a more efiective way of automatically cuttingoif the supply of gas or liquid when the amount of the same equal invalue to the coin inserted shall have I attain this object by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a plan View of a gasmeter, showing the meter mechanism and the vending-machine attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a front view of thevending-machine with the front of the outer case removed. Fig. 3 is avertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 2 along the line 93 00,looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is averticalsection ofthe vending-machine along the line y y, as shown in Fig. 3, looking inthe direction of the arrows. Fig. 5, is a side elevation of the valvehaving a part broken away, showing the position of the parts when thegas is about to be shut off. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of thecoin-conduit and coin-receptacle, and Fig." 7 is a front elevation of ameter having the vending-machine attached thereto.

The various parts of the machine are shown in the position they occupywhen the gas is about to be cut off.

I shall describe the operation of the machine and point outmyimprovement therein.

In the operation of the machine a coin 1 is placed in the coin-conduit 2and thence delivered into a V-shaped cavity 3 in the rotatablecoin-receptacle 4, the edge of the coin slightly projecting from thecavity, as shown in Fig. 4. On the outside of the coin-conduit 2 a trapor door 5 is hinged, adapted to close the aperture left in the Wall ofcoinconduit 2 for the passage of the projecting edge of the coin.

The coin-receptacle 4 is incased in a sta- Serial No. 674,865. (Nomodel.)

tionary shell 6, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, which shell has aportion cut out in such manner as to prevent the withdrawing of the coinat any other place except the place of receiving and that of deliveringthe same in the cash-receiver of the machine. The mode of retaining thecoin by means of the flanges of this stationary shell is especiallyillustrated in Figs. 1 and 6' of the drawings, in which it is shown thatthe distance between the inner edges of the flanges, while less than thediameter of the coin, is suflicient to al= low the edge of the coin toproject.

The coin-receptacle 4 is mounted in suitable bearings and provided onone end with a ratchet-wheel '7 and gravity-pawls 8 and 9, allowing thecoin-receptacle to be rotated in one direction only. The stem of thecoin-receptacle projects through the outer case 10 of the machine andthere carries ahandle 11, by means of which it is rotated.

A crown-wheel 12, revolved by the meter mechanism, when the meter isworking, by means of a pinion 13, secured to shaft 14, serves toregulate the quantity of gas to be delivered for a unit of coin, onerevolution of this wheel corresponding to the quantity of gas to bedelivered for one coin. The wheel 12 carries on its back a pin 15, asshown in broad segmental leg 20 being provided with notches 21, 22, 2 3,24, and 25, all of which, with the exception of the first notch 21, areequal. Thetoothofthefirstnotch21islonger than the teeth of the othernotches in segmental leg 20 in order to afiord a greater bearing-surfaceto engage with thecoin, and thus throw the latch 16 over the first longtooth on rack B to effect the purposes hereinafter described. Thecoin-receptacle 4, with the projecting edge of the coin acting as atooth or finger, will engage one of these notches and cause the lever Ato oscillate, and thereby open the inlet-valve V until the spring-latch16, attached to the other leg 17 of the lever A,

. ply-pipe 32.

.two teeth 34 and 35.

slips behind teeth 26, 27, 2s, 29, or 30, respec-- tively, which teethare cut into the upper edge of a stationary rack B, mounted upon theframe of the machine. One coin is required to advance the leverA onetooth, and in turn each revolution of the wheel 12 will raise the latch16 by means of pin 15 and cam 18, and the leg 17, actuated by spring 31,will slip back to the next tooth on the rack B, gradually closing theinlet-valve V in the sup- Oorrespondin g to the first large notch 21 onleg of leverA are teeth 33 and 26 on rack B, the combined length ofwhich is more than the length of any one of the remaining teeth. This isso that the first coin inserted will open the valve wide enough topermit a full supply of gas to escape. The tooth 33 is less distant fromthe center of the circle the circumference of which touches the teeth26, 27, 28, 29, and than are these teeth, so that the small tooth 34oncam 18, actuated by pin 15, will raise latch 16 over tooth 33, whileit will not raise it over the other teeth on the rack B. The cam 18 isloosely mounted on valve-stem 19 and has As has been pointed V out, thecam is actuated by pin 15 on wheel 12 engaging one of the teeth on thecam. Tooth 35 is large enough to raise latch 16 over any of the teeth onrack 13, while tooth 34 is only large enough to raise latch 16sufficient to allow pin 15 to pass thereunder and also to raise latch 16over tooth 33, as shown.

When the amount of gas paid for has been nearly consumed, tooth 35 willraise latch16 over tooth 26, andlatch I6, snapping back, will rest ontooth 33. The gas will then be partially cutoff, the valve V being inthe position shown in Fig. 5, and the diminution of the light will Warnthe consumer that the gas is soon to be entirely cut 01f. When theentire amount of gas is consumed, tooth 34 will raise the latch overtooth 33, and the latch, snapping to its resting place, will immediatelyshut off the gas by closing valve V. In the form of tooth 33 shown inthe drawings a steady diminished flame will burn to the end; but shouldthe tooth be at a more acute angle then the flame will graduallyincrease after the first diminution, as in raising latch 16 the valve Vwill be opened slightly before the final cutting ofi. Should the toothbe at a more obtuse angle, then the flame will diminish gradually by thegradual closing of the valve, and should the face of the tooth be of anirregular outline then the light would alternately increase and diminishaccording as the valve more or less opened and closed. In each of thesecases a more certain warning is given theconsumer of the approachingclosing of the valve.

In this machine, as shown, it is possible to place five coins or less inthe receptacle successively, and thus provide for a continual flow ofgas until the equivalent of such coins shall have been used. It isobvious that more coins can be inserted by so adapting the machine.

If the operator of the machine should endeavor to remove the coininserted through' the coin-conduit, the trap or door 5 will prevent suchprocedure, and I preferablymake such trap or door with a knife-edge, soas to cut any string which might be attached to any coin inserted. -Thesame object-that of preventing fraud-can be attained by employing thedevice shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereby the coin-receptacle 4 isrotated directly by the meter mechanism by means of an oscillating lever36, shaft 38, ratchet-wheel 7, and pawls 8 and 9.

The valve-stem 19 extends to the front of the machine and there hassecured to it 'a dial 37, having suitable figures printed upon its faceand by means of which the amount of gas purchased can be ascertained.The outer case 10 of the machine is provided with an aperture throughwhich the dial may be seen, as is shown in Fig. 7.

To insure the valve V working uniformly without too great friction, thespring 31, operating the lever A, is wound spirally around valve-stem19, one end of the spiral portion of the spring resting against thebarrel of valve V and the other against a shoulder or stop on thevalve-stem, thus enacting a lateral pressure, transferring sufficient ofthe friction between the valve-stem and the barrel to the nut on theback of the valve to prevent the jamming of the valve-stem and barrel.

To meet the fluctuations in the price of gas,

I employ crown-wheels having more or'less teeth according as the pricefluctuates, and by making the crown-wheel removable and supplanting itby another the fluctuations can be met.

It is evident that the use of this machine is not confined togas-vending machines as herein principally described, but can also beused to dispense measured quantities of liquids.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1.- In a gas or liquid vending machine the combination withcoin-controlling means, of a rack having a series of teeth the last ofsaid teeth being smaller than the others, a springlatch adapted toengage said teeth, means operated by the movement of said latch forcontrolling the valve, and a cam having a plurality of projections soarranged with respect to said teeth that one projection will raise thelatch over each of the teeth while another will raise the latch over thesmall tooth only, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a gas or liquid vending machine the combination withcoin-controlling means, of a rack having a series of teeth, the last ofsaid teeth being smaller than the others, a spring-latch adapted toengage said teeth,

means operated by the movement of said latch for controlling the valve,and a cam having a plurality of projections so arranged with respect tosaid teeth that one projection will raise the latch over each of theteeth While another will raise the latch over the small tooth only, anda wheel having a pin adapted to operate said cam, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

3. In a gas or liquid vending machine, coincontrolled means whereby apredetermined amount of gas or liquid is permitted to escape, said meansincluding a Wheel 12, pin

